EDITORIAL: Clinton Blasts Russian Barbarism

Last week, after more than one year in office, the Clinton State Department finally opened fire on Russia’s litany of human rights atrocities. The Kremlin lashed out at the effort in a typical neo-Soviet frenzy.

The DOS report made a particular issue out of Russian barbarity in the Caucasus:

In Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan, the number of extrajudicial killings and disappearances increased markedly, as did the number of attacks on law enforcement personnel. Authorities in the North Caucasus appeared to act outside of federal government control. Federal and local security forces in Chechnya, as well as private militia of Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov, allegedly targeted families of suspected insurgents for reprisal and committed other abuses.

Let’s be clear: This is the government of the United States accusing the government of Russia of state-sponsored kidnapping, torture and murder. And then there’s the cover-up of these atrocities: “”Eight journalists, many of whom reported critically on the government, were killed during the year; with one exception, the government failed to identify, arrest, or prosecute any subjects. Beating and intimidation of journalists remained a problem.”

It took the Obama government (and Mr. Obama himself hasn’t said one single public word about any of this), more than one year to finally tell the truth about human rights in Russia. We dare not think how long it will take this craven regime to actually do something about the problem.

And yet, this puny effort was still enough to provoke a truly crazed, frenzied reaction from the Kremlin. Rather than even try to deny any of the facts set forth in the State Department report, the Kremlin hauled out once again the pathetic neo-Soviet tactic of changing the subject, claiming that the USA is just as oppressive of human rights and therefore, apparently, it’s just fine for Russia to be as barbaric as it likes. The Kremlin stated that a report on USA transgressions ought to be written that would focus on “domestic violence leading to the murder of children, including those adopted in Russia,” as well as “racism and xenophobia toward migrants, and Islamophobia.”

Even if we accept the ridiculous neo-Soviet notion that two wrongs make a right (is it really OK for NATO to invade Russia because Russian invaded Georgia?), the notion that the USA has a racism or domestic murder problem even remotely comparable to Russia’s is a laughable neo-Soviet lie. Far more race killings and far more domestic homicides occur in Russia than in the United States, indeed far more than in most other countries on the planet. One Russian woman is murdered by her husband every thirty minutes. And the Kremlin chooses not to mention, of course, the small army of Russian mafia on trial in US courts for brutal violence.

What we are seeing in Russia is a reversion to a failed past, a past where the government felt it could tell any type of outrageous lie and be believed. Even then it was not true, but at least then the USSR had a veil of mystery that it might have thought could camouflage its lies. Now, that veil has been blown away, and the world can only gape slack-jawed in horror as the Kremlin humiliates itself with this display of ignorance and duplicity. It is a clear sign that Putin’s Russia cannot long endure.

16 responses to “EDITORIAL: Clinton Blasts Russian Barbarism”

Dear Comrade ‘bedlam’,
You have given yourself an apt moniker. All you wish to create is bedlam, not getting to the truth of things.
Why not just call yourself, ‘Liar-Man’ ?
Every word of your attacks here, is pure Kremlin propaganda nonsence.
But, thanks for refreshing our memories, as to the standard KGB anti-American/cover-up litanies to deny your ‘Russia’s’ crimes.
You KGB operatives are SO predictable.
HA! HA! HA!
Thanks for the laughs.

They’re incredibly predictable and boring. Very dull. Maybe they bought some kind of software which generates comments… these guys are so narrow minded that there is not only nothing to discuss with them, you feel kind of pity to them. You sort of hope that may be some day in the future they will become little bit smarter. Or you hope that they are good husbands or fathers. You don’t have to be smart to be a good person, right? Maybe even some KGB scum is actually lovely persons in other life. Like some of SS officers were such nice family guys… too bad they’ve chosen wrong job…

Here is an example of anti-American hatred that you asked me to provide, and it’s an official position of the Russian government since it comes from the Kremlin itself. I am copying a part of the article above just for you: the Kremlin claims that

the USA is just as oppressive of human rights and therefore, apparently, it’s just fine for Russia to be as barbaric as it likes. The Kremlin stated that a report on USA transgressions ought to be written that would focus on ”domestic violence leading to the murder of children, including those adopted in Russia,” as well as “racism and xenophobia toward migrants, and Islamophobia.”

Stupid stuff like saying, “They are going to intercept an asteroid and save the earth” is a sure sign of a bunch of dippos.

Also they are going to develop a state of the art, new fighter aircraft when they cannot even build and sell their old military equipment!! Some countries would buy their old stuff if all the parts were there.

They are too stupid to understand that they have to get on television and argue with their critics not kill them.

The underlying base of their troubles is that they steal way too much from new business. This kills the golden goose that might have saved them.

Its a pity Merkel, Berlussconi, and Sarkosy don’t chime in with some critical comments too.

Putin’s not going to just walk away, nor will he be forced from office either. That would mean prison for himself and his cronies, so instead he will cling to power and Russia will become one big Zimbabwe. The misery of the Russian people will continue.

I’m going to have to agree, based on the United States government’s recently-acquired expertise on the subject. Once upon a time I would have said the U.S.A. was clueless on the subject, but these days, they don’t have to take a back seat to anybody.

Nobody could reasonably argue that Russia has a horrible human-rights record, because they do. And the U.S.A’s human-rights performance in the U.S.A. is generally enviable. It’s in the behaviour by deployed forces abroad that they’re catching up fast.

Canada, too, if it comes to that. Remember Shidane Arone, brutally beaten to death by Canadian soldiers in Somalia, because he was trying to steal food because he was starving? I’ll never forget the horrible photographs. We could teach Russia a thing or two about barbarism.

Of course Canada is not like Russia, that’s not what I meant. I’m still very proud of Canada’s record, although like most Canadians, I was appalled by this example of brutality. I meant to highlight that barbarism is not restricted to Russia. Not only was this an isolated incident, the entire Airborne Regiment was disbanded as a result of Arone’s brutal death. I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t happen in Russia, and maybe not in a lot of other places, either. Of course, that was largely symbolic, as the Airborne was an elite outfit drawn from other regiments, and when the Airborne was disbanded they simply went back to their previous units; they didn’t get fired or anything like that. However, Canada lost the capability and the disbandment ceremony made it clear it was owing to national disgrace.

I’ve never argued Russia was some kind of paradise, or that its people were without wrong. In another thread we were able to come to an agreement that ALL Russians are not responsible for what SOME Russians do, and that’s all the acknowledgement I’ve ever asked for.

In Russia they would give them a medal. No, I’m not kidding, it’s not a hyperbole or anything like that.

And they still have even the infamous “elite” Dzerzhinsky Division (proudly busy mass-murderin’ since 1924) – this is like if the Germans today still had the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler:http://visualrian.com/images/item/408543
(“maroon beret” – more like moron beret)

Whenever I said anything about “ALL Russians”? What are you talking about? Still on drugs? Or maybe still can’t you read with understanding (like with the “RSF=BBC” thing)?

It was you who said “the Chechens” (North Caucasians really) don’t deserve free press, because they would “rewrite history” (I guess in some historical journal, and I don’t really get what’s wrong with any kind of historical research anyway – after all, their history is longer than the history of Russia) and approved their kidnappings if they disagree with your opinion.

I never said anything to the effect “Russians can’t have free press (or else)”. Quite on contrary, I rather insist the Russians MUST have free media (in Russian realities, most of all the television). But the “disappearances” must stop.

NOTICE: This blog quotes from source material, and links to it. When a post contains quotes and original material, the quotes are in ordinary print and the original in boldface. See "About LR" in the title bar for copyright notice.

Supporting La Russophobe

La Russophobe does not solicit or accept financial support from any source. If you would like to show your support for LR and your opposition to the rise of dictatorship in Russia, the easiest way is to create a Digg or StumbleUpon or Delicious account and use it to favorite some of our posts. LR also welcomes your e-mail comments and submissions for publication, and we urge you to support the effort to boycott of the Sochi Olympics.